Richard Durham and Land-Grant University Horticulture Departments
Holiday Plant Care
Richard Durham and land-grant university horticulture departments
Floral symbols of the upcoming holiday season are appearing all over town. Poinsettias, cacti, ornamental peppers and other seasonal plants are putting on a spectacular show in stores and garden centers.
You can maintain beautiful plants long after the holidays by selecting high-quality specimens and properly caring for them.
Poinsettias are the most popular potted plant with annual sales exceeding 70 million. These plants are available in many colors. In addition to the traditional reds, poinsettias come in white, pink, yellow, marbled and speckled. These spectacular plant colors are not flowers; instead, they are modified leaves, often called “bracts.” Actual flowers are the small, yellow blossoms in the center of the bracts.
There is an advantage to the fact that the attractive part isn’t a true flower because most flowers are short-lived. However, poinsettia bracts are very long-lasting, providing a nice decorative plant for the ever-extending holiday season.
When buying poinsettias, select plants with abundant dark green foliage all the way down the stems. Remember that varieties with lighter-colored or mottled bracts typically also have lighter green foliage. Bracts should be well developed with little pollen on the flowers. Look for durable plants with stiff stems, good bract and leaf retention and absence of wilting, breaking or drooping. Plants should be attractive and balanced from all sides.
Plants with pale green, yellow or fallen leaves generally have a root disease, were over-watered, had an excessive dry period, or received insufficient fertilizer.
Low temperatures, even for a brief period, can damage leaves and bracts. So if you’re transporting when outside temperatures are below 35 degrees Fahrenheit, be sure the plant is well wrapped when transporting it. When you get home, promptly remove the protective sleeve to prevent a downward bending of leaf stems.
Since poinsettias thrive in at least six hours of indirect, natural light daily, put plants in a southern, eastern or western facing window when you get home. Don’t let any part touch the cold windowpane because this might injure the plant part. Keep plants out of cold drafts and away from excessive heat or dry air to prolong vibrant colors and prevent premature leaf drop.
An ideal daytime temperature is between 67 and 70 degrees F. One of the best things you can do for a poinsettia is to drop the temperature by about 10 degrees at night.
Always remove damaged or diseased leaves.
Poinsettias require moderately moist soil, but should not be over-watered as this can make plants quickly succumb to several soil-borne diseases. Check plant water needs daily by putting your finger into the soil down to the middle knuckle. If you feel moisture, wait another day to check again before watering.
Never let the plant stand in water. Pour off water that accumulates in the saucer or dish under the pot and remove the pot from the cellophane cover when watering.
Fertilize the poinsettia every couple of weeks with an ordinary houseplant food.
The Christmas cactus makes a wonderful gift because it’s easy to grow and is an attractive plant even when not flowering. It prefers rich, well-drained soil and requires bright sunlight, a south window is excellent, and moderate moisture levels. To ensure flowering, keep the plant quite dry, unfertilized and at cooler temperatures (about 55 degrees F) if possible. Once flower buds are evident, return to normal watering, but not fertilizer.
Your cactus will reward you at Christmastime with blossoms up to two-inches long in colors ranging from a deep purple to pale salmon.
Remove the spent cactus booms as they fade and apply a houseplant fertilizer when blooming is complete.
Ornamental (Christmas) peppers are a relative newcomer to the holiday plant gift list and are becoming a popular home and office decoration. Their fruits are a colorful holiday red that will remain at peak color for one to two months. The fruit will be brighter and last longer if you provide bright light, mild temperatures (65 to 70 degrees F) and moist soil. Use a soluble fertilizer weekly.
Beware that Christmas peppers sometimes are extremely hot and can cause burning, redness and skin irritation. The extent of irritation depends on how much capsaicin, an irritating compound that provides the pungent odor, is in the pepper and now long it contacted the skin.
To prevent possible skin problems, wear gloves when working with Christmas peppers. If you develop skin irritation, wash your hands well in warm water and soap. However, some capsaicin might remain on your hands for several hours. Washing your hands in alcohol or soaking them in vegetable oil might help remove some of the capsaicin., but the best approach is to prevent exposure by wearing gloves.
Since the Christmas pepper is an annual, it won’t bloom again next year so it’s best to discard the plant after fruit drop.
For more information on holiday plant care, contact your (CountyName) Cooperative Extension Service.
Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.
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Poinsettias Aren’t Poisonous;But Are Non-Edible Plants
Sources: Richard Durham and land-grant university horticulture departments
Contrary to persistent rumors, poinsettias are not poisonous to humans. However, these popular holiday plants are non-edible, meaning they could cause some discomfort if ingested by humans or animals. Although poinsettias are not poisonous, mistletoe is one popular holiday decoration that is toxic.
Extensive university research and laboratory testing have shown that poinsettias are not poisonous. One scientific study concluded that no toxicity occurred at poinsettia ingestion levels far higher than those likely to occur in a home. The main information resource of most poison control centers states that a 50-pound child would have to ingest more than 500 poinsettia leaves to surpass an experimental dose.
However, poinsettias are considered a “non-edible” plant.
Some people develop skin sensitivities when exposed to poinsettias. Individuals might be especially sensitive to the white milky sap, called “latex,” produced when a part of the plant is broken or injured. Ingesting a plant part by accident might cause some discomfort. Active, young children, apt to put anything in their mouth, and curious cats might choke on fibrous poinsettia foliage.
So a good practice is to put all non-edible plant materials, including poinsettias, out of children’s and pets’ reach.
The Aztecs cultivated poinsettias in Mexico, where they grew as trees, long before Europeans came to the Western Hemisphere. Aztecs used the colorful leaves, called “bracts” for a reddish-purple dye and the latex to counteract fever. Missionaries to Mexico used poinsettias in nativity processions, possibly beginning the holiday connection that continues today.
Joel Robert Poinsett, an amateur botanist and the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico, became fascinated with the colorful plants and sent some to his South Carolina home where they thrived in his greenhouse. Poinsett shared the ancient plants with other enthusiasts.
Poinsettias weren’t used as potted plants until the early 1920s, having previously been sold as cut flowers. Since then, many people have bred longer-lasting, different colored varieties to establish the poinsettia as a house plant and holiday tradition. Today, the poinsettia is the most popular potted flowering plant sold in the United States, with annual sales of 70 million plants.
Mistletoe
Mistletoe has long been associated with winter and holiday celebrations.
Some sources state that the name, mistletoe, is a combination of the Anglo-Saxon “mistle,” the word for “dung,” and “tan,” the word for “twig.” This is because ancient people observed that mistletoe would often appear on a twig or branch where birds had left droppings. Thus, some sources believe “mistletoe” means “dung-on-a-twig.”
Another source reports that its name is derived from the old Saxon word, Mistel-tan, which means “different twig.” The genus name of the common North American species literally means “tree thief.” Both refer to mistletoe as a tree parasite.
Mistletoe is a semi-parasitic plant that contains chlorophyll to manufacture its own food for growth and development but must obtain water and minerals from a host plant, usually a deciduous trees like the oak, hawthorn and apple. A massive amount of mistletoe might weaken a tree, but otherwise usually is quite harmless. Mistletoe is persistent, but slow-growing. Its natural death is determined by that of the host.
American mistletoe is found from New Jersey southward to Florida and Texas. Live mistletoe sold during the holiday season is gathered in the wild.
Mistletoe contains compounds that are toxic to humans and animals. Ingesting mistletoe can cause severe stomach cramps and diarrhea, and can be fatal in some cases. However, mistletoe berries are a common food for many bird species. Once eaten and digested, seed are passed and deposited by birds onto limbs to germinate and form new parasitic plants.
When using mistletoe for holiday decorations, it’s wise to substitute plastic berries for the real ones to prevent potential poisonings. Remember to keep mistletoe out of the reach of children and pets if you don’t replace the real berries.
There are many myths and legends about mistletoe and its association with Christmas.
Ancient peoples thought mistletoe was mystical because it suddenly appeared in trees without noticeable roots.
One French myth was that mistletoe is poisonous because it was growing on a tree used to make the cross on which Jesus was crucified. Thus, it was cursed and denied a place to live and grow on earth, becoming a parasite forever.
Mistletoe was considered sacred in pre-Christian Europe. The Druids in first century Britian believed mistletoe was a sacred plant with miraculous properties that provided fertility to people and animals, healed diseases and protected people from witchcraft. The Druids cut mistletoe off oak trees in a special ceremony five days after the new moon following winter solstice.
The tradition of kissing under mistletoe might have originated from the Viking association of this plant with Frigga, the goddess of love, or from the ancient belief that mistletoe was related to fertility. Another source states that the English and American custom of kissing under the mistletoe originated in England in the 19th Century.
For more information, contact your (CountyName) Cooperative Extension Service.
Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.
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Holiday Plant Safety
Sources: Richard Durham and land-grant university horticulture departments
Flowering plants are a traditional gift for their beauty during the holiday season. While most decorative plants are harmless, some might be hazardous or dangerous to children or pets when part of the plant is eaten or handled.
Some plants contain toxic substances that when ingested or handled can cause symptoms including mild stomach ache, skin rashes and throat or mouth swelling. Other reactions to toxic substances can involve the heart, kidneys and other organs. Even plants that aren’t toxic do present choking hazards to children.
Contrary to rumors, the poinsettia is not poisonous. Many scientific studies have proven that this most popular potted plant is not toxic. However, its fibrous leaves can pose choking hazards to young children and pets. The white, milky substance released when a plant part breaks can cause skin rashes on highly sensitive people.
Some traditional holiday plants that can cause problems are mistletoe, poisonous leaves and berries that cause vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain; Jerusalem cherry, eating fruit or foliage adversely affects the heart; Christmas peppers, fruit causes skin irritation similar to that from the Capsicum species of “hot pepper;” holly berries, swallowing more than two berries can result in nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhea; and Christmas tree needles, choking hazard.
It’s a good idea to know what kinds of plants you already have or are buying. If you’re not sure about a plant on hand, contact your (CountyName) Cooperative Extension Service or PoisonControlCenter for help identifying the plant. The PCC nationwide toll-free number is 1-800-222-1222. You can call this number from anywhere in the United States and will be connected to the nearest location from your location.
Be sure to know what you’re getting when buying plants or decorations. Ask if they are poisonous. Keep all plant tags because knowing a plant name is important if you have to call the PCC.
Follow these safety guidelines to ensure a safe, happy holiday season.
Keep holiday plants and decorations out of young children’s and pet’s reaches.
Remember to pick up and dispose of all parts that fall from arrangements and plants because these might contain small amounts of hazardous compounds or poisons.
Avoid letting small children play unsupervised around plants.
Don’t chew on jewelry made from plant material, or allow children to do likewise.
Be sure all herbs you grow are safe and edible.
Never make your own “nature tea” unless you’re positive the plant and recipe are safe.
Store seed, bulbs, tubers and the like out of the reach of children.
For more information, contact your (CountyName) Cooperative Extension Service.
Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.
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